-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The soaring popularity of smartphones and tablets is eroding the distinction between our business and personal worlds , says the head of British telecoms giant BT .

Ian Livingston , BT 's chief executive officer , told Marketplace Europe the `` consumerization '' of business -- the trend for personal consumer devices such as smartphones and tablet computers to be used in the workplace -- was redefining the way we do business .

`` One of the things that we are seeing is the barrier between business and consumer is beginning to come down , '' he said .

`` What was assumed in the past was very much -LSB- that -RSB- your business life is over here and your personal life is over there -- that is not true , certainly not true for most of your business people . ''

The consumer sector was now taking the lead when it came to innovations in communication technology , giving workers the opportunity stay connected on their personal device around the clock -- whether in the office , at home or traveling .

`` People are going to become networked all the time , '' he said . `` I think we are just at the beginning of this revolution . ''

While there were clear benefits for businesses to be had from the new reality , it also raised challenges around security .

`` It used to be that the IT department would say : ` How can I stop people from using it on our corporate network ? ' '' he said . `` Today it is ` How can I help people use it securely on the corporate network ? ' ''

Livingston said BT was meeting some of the infrastructure costs required for the new communications environment by focusing on improving its customer service .

`` The reason we start with customer service , apart from the obvious fact that customers like better service , is actually the biggest cost of our business and any telecoms business is the cost of failure . ''

Through initiatives such as the company 's `` First Time Right '' program , it had managed to reduce its cost base by Â # 3 billion -LRB- $ 4.7 billion -RRB- over three years -- and halved the number of complaints received .

`` Take the failures out of the business -- and we have done a lot of that -- and the costs fall out automatically , '' he said . `` That cost transformation has got more to go , and it also frees up money and people to invest in the future of business . ''

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BT CEO : The growth of smartphones and tablets is changing our work patterns

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This `` consumerization '' of business is blurring the lines between work and personal life

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The consumer sector is now driving innovation in communications tech , he says

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While businesses can benefit from this , it also raises security challenges